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Black Marsh/History
First Era Little is known about what occurred in Argonia or Argonians in general during much of the First Era, as the few Argonians that left the province were very rare and they themselves didn't talk about their history and preferred to integrate themselves into the larger Tamrielic cultures. The region and, by extension Argonians themselves, stayed independent of the Tamrielic Empire until the twenty-ninth century of the First Era. It is known that there was a very successful enterprise of bandits and thieves that had long been exploiting the swampland of southeastern Tamriel, which was lead by most infamous of the brigadiers, "Red" Bramman. The coastline along the east of Topal Bay had become notorious for acts of piracy because of these Bandits and thieves, and in 1E 1033, the Empress Hestra demanded the head of Bramman. After many unsuccessful battles in the Bay, the Imperial Navy discovered the pirate-king's means of escaping capture: a narrow, winding river which emptied into the Bay near Soulrest, its mouth was screened by dense thickets of mangroves. The Imperial Fleet followed the course deeper into the heart of Black Marsh than any non-Argonian had ever been before. They eventually caught Bramman in his bandit kingdom not far from what is now called Blackrose, and took his head for the Empress. The Argonians were defeated by the Reman Empire in 2811 at the Battle of Argonia. Following this defeat, the Argonians retreated to Helstrom, where the Imperials would not follow them. Slave traders exploited the Argonians, and "entire tribes of Argonians were dragged in chains" to the Dunmer land. Warlord dynasties were formed by former Imperial officers, who "earned a reputation for tyranny even in those dark times". The land that had once been a haven for Tamriel's criminals became its greatest prison state. Anyone considered too dangerous to hold in "civilized" dungeons in other Provinces was sent to Black Marsh. Second Era Even less is know about Argonian history in the Second Era. The only know recorded event occurred in 2E 560, when the Argonians responded against their tyrannical oppressors with the Knahaten Flu. Whether the terrible Khahaten Flu arose from natural causes, or was created by an Argonian shaman in retaliation for his people's oppression is still a matter of debate, but its result is clear. The plague began in Stormhold in 2E 560, and quickly spread to every corner of Black Marsh, killing all those not of reptilian stock. For over forty years, it held the Province in its grip, destroying entire cultures, (notably, the Kothringi), and driving outsiders from the land. Even when the land became habitable again, fear of the disease kept most outsiders away. House Dres of Morrowind continued to send slavers into the north, but few others saw any reason to trouble themselves with the land. Even Tiber Septim, it was said, thought twice before conquering Black Marsh for his new Empire. The borders of the province fell easily to his forces, but he wisely decided to avoid strategically unimportant inner swamps, and thus met with little resistance. Third Era By the Third Era most of Argonia had been assimilated into the empire with the exception of Helstrom. Helstrom is in the center of "Murkwood", an area of marsh in the center of Argonia where it is almost impossible for non-Argonians to travel, so is the center of non-Imperial Black Marsh. This is also where the Arnesian War uprising, (which took place during the Imperial Simulacrum), saw the Argonians exact revenge for the slavery that they suffered from House Dres. In approximately 3E 200th year, during the reign of Katariah, there was a massacre at the village of Armanias, due to a lack of sufficient armor. In the 398th year, Decumus Scotti was a senior clerk at Lord Vanech's Building Commission. He was tasked with improving trade in the region of Black Marsh. Fourth Era In the Oblivion Crisis the Argonians were ready for the Daedra invaders thanks to the Hist. The An-Xileel led them and they successfully drove back the Daedra, following them back into the Oblivion Gates. Afterwards, Argonia seceded from the Empire, making Black Marsh into an independent province. In the aftermath of the Red Year (4E 6) the Argonians invaded Morrowind to exact revenge on the Dunmer and put much of the southern Morrowind in An-Xileel control. They were only driven back by House Redoran after devastating much of the South including the former capital of Morrowind, Mournhold. They appear to be neutral to the ongoing hostilities between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion.